


After Dawn

by LocalVoid



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Angst, Gen, Mental Health Issues, One Shot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 08:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11733033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LocalVoid/pseuds/LocalVoid
Summary: It had been several weeks since it all went down. Trapped beneath walls of rock and tunnels akin to mazes, Josh lay pressed against the cold hard ground-- exhausted, afraid, and most of all, alone. As time becomes more and more nonexistent, Josh begins to ponder if anyone is ever going to save him, or better yet, if he really deserves saving.





	After Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! I know I'm two years late to the whole Until Dawn thing, but oh well. I wrote this for a school assignment and had no where else to put it so I figured I'd just put it on here. It's a one shot as of now, so it's quite short, but anyway! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)

_I’m sorry, Hannah._

It was all he could think about. Amongst the drops pooling at the ends of the stalactite that lay along the ceiling of the cave—which released a rhythmic ping every time it smacked directly into the body of water beneath—he could hear the sharpness in his breath echo throughout the tunnels within. He didn’t know how long he had been lying there on that rugged surface, shards of rock piercing through his overalls and into his flesh. He was curled up in fetal position for what felt like forever, almost as though he wasn’t able to move at all. Too afraid to turn around or move a muscle, he accepted this fate, staring at a rock wall for however long it was that he was down there. Time felt like an illusion at this point; days and nights became one. He found himself having trouble distinguishing the difference between a minute and an hour—they were both tiresome and tedious.

_I’m sorry, Beth._

There were times where he couldn’t remember where he was. He would hear those voices all over again, louder and louder as they circled within his ears. There were times where he could feel that… that _thing_ right behind him, breathing directly at his neck and causing all the hair he had left to stand up with a shiver. He couldn’t tell if anything was real anymore. His sisters were dead, he knew that. He betrayed all his friends’ trust, he knew that too. But those… things. They couldn’t have been real. _But then how did I get here?_

Josh swallowed hard, his throat akin to sandpaper. The intense pain within his stomach nudged him again—it seemed to nudge harder each time—his entire body going as rigid as the corpse in the corner of his eyes. It had been laying there for a while—he had gotten used to the stench of rigor mortis and bloating. If he could just inch himself towards it, perhaps he could have a taste. He wasn’t totally against cannibalism at a time like this, he remembers when he and Chris watched _The Road_ together a few years back, and they had argued about whether they’d ever resort to it. “You’re crazy, man!” Chris had exclaimed, a smile on his face that stretched from cheek to cheek. Josh scoffed at the sudden memory, a pang of nostalgia impaling his heart, but he returned his focus back to the body. His reluctance went almost immediately interrupted as the familiar incoherent whispers had suddenly pierced through his skull again, forcing him to shake his head violently in an attempt to rid of them. Exhaustion heightened alongside the heaviness at his eyelids. He wished so gravely that that _thing_ had just killed him instead of dumping him here alone—his only company being the vicious voices in his head, his trembling breath, and the odd occasional bang that would echo through the tunnels. He was going to die here. _I deserve it_ , he thought.

Josh inched himself towards the body with a moan. His bones felt like thin glass threatening to shatter every time he moved, and his joints felt locked in place. Raising his head, he almost expected the body to disappear as though it was never there in the first place. It felt so far away. Eventually, with gradual effort, he made his way to the stinking corpse. He turned it onto its back before he himself fell back immediately, retching in disgust. Maggots on top of maggots and forming larvae coated the body’s face, squeezing themselves between every orifice and every crack in the skin. Shaking his head back and forth, Josh lay down again, sniffling in frustration. _I’m going to die here._ He wanted to cry, if only he was able to. Instead he closed his eyes, hiccupping in distress, and thought of a good memory from the past—perhaps one with Chris, or Sam, or… his sisters.

A few years earlier, he would fall asleep the same way. On all those restless nights alone in bed, he would close his eyes and think of the past, the _good_ past, or he would think about the hypothetical future until he reached a point of tranquility. But this time… this time it was different. All the good in his past was tainted, a stain that refused to be washed off. Every good memory with Hannah or Beth was now a cruel reminder of what had happened—it left him a feeling of complete emptiness. And every good memory with Sam or Chris was a mocking reminder of what he ruined. So instead, he closed his eyes, hiccupping in distress, and remained curled up in the cave alone.

There was an abrupt bang. He didn’t flinch this time, feeling quite apathetic to everything around him. Although, his ears perked up with the footsteps that came along with it. A heavy sense of dread ran down his spine. _Footsteps?_ He thought, losing his breath. Bringing his open palm to his head, he smacked himself repeatedly in an attempt to shut out the noises. _It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t_ —and then there were more footsteps. Multiple ones.

He went completely still, just like the corpse across from him. _They’re back. Those things._ The thump of his heart felt louder than his breath, almost as though it were banging its fists at the walls of his ribcage pleading to be let free. The steps inched closer and closer, a swarm of whispers and voices coming along with it. He felt like he couldn’t blink, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. The only thing he could focus on was the black, rugged wall of stone in front of him. His jaw was clenched so tightly that he felt as though his teeth would shatter, and his hands clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood. The footsteps crept directly behind him and then stopped. And then it went completely silent.

There was a hard nudge at his shoulder that forced a yelp out of him. With adrenaline rushing through his body, he crawled backwards, back up against the wall and cowered like a kicked dog, whimpering and whining in complete terror. With his head buried in his arms, he stayed put, tensely waiting for something to happen.

“You okay there, kid?” A disembodied voice spoke. More footsteps approached, stopping abruptly within a few feet in front of him. “We’re here to help.”

“Get out of my head!” Josh exclaimed, his voice raspy and cracked. He began hitting himself again, his eyes screwed shut before burying his head. “Get out!”

There was a quiet pause. Josh could hear deep voices murmuring amongst each other in concern. A throat cleared itself before speaking again, “Are you Josh? Josh Washington?” The voice asked in a calmer tone. “You’ve been missing for several weeks.”

Something comforting within the voice whipped the tenseness in his body back into place. Josh gulped, quivering in fear before gradually raising his head. A blinding beam of light hit his retinas, causing him to squint immediately. The light dimmed, and he could finally see clearly a man in uniform who stood in front of him amongst several other officers. Josh observed his surroundings in disbelief, looking back up at the man who knelt down at his height.

“We’re taking you back home now.” The officer said with a comforting firmness.

Josh sank as a stretcher was called. He wanted to feel joy, or relief, or even despair, but he felt nothing. At the end of the day, Hannah and Beth were still gone. Maybe it would have been better if he was gone too. “What…” Josh cleared his throat, his voice croaky-- completely deprived of any moisture. “What time is it?”

“It’s just after dawn.” He smiled faintly, “The freezing rain is finally gone. It’s looking like a nice day so far.”

Josh lowered his head. Soon he’ll be returned to a mere mimic of the life he once had, just like he was returned one year ago after the disappearance. It’ll be back to therapy, probably hospitalization, loss of friends, and walking amongst his home in the deceased footsteps of his sisters. Would any of his friends-- Sam... Chris... ever forgive him? His heart sank. He didn’t want to think about that right now. Right now, he just wanted to see the sun. For one last time, he wanted to see the sun rise from behind the Washington Estate. It was all over now, that’s more than what he asked for.


End file.
